Overview

• Du Plessis is training at Pretoria’s CIT Performance Institute with a $10,000 reward offered to any partner who manages to take him down in sparring sessions.
• Training partner Mark Hulme predicts Du Plessis will finish Khamzat Chimaev in under three rounds, highlighting the champion’s wrestling and Chimaev’s tendency to fade late.
• Analyst Din Thomas recommends Du Plessis challenge Chimaev on the ground to blunt the challenger’s dominant grappling and avoid being overwhelmed early.
• Recent gym photos have sparked intense fan debate over Du Plessis’s physique and confidence, with supporters praising his mind games and detractors forecasting a quick Chimaev victory.
• The undefeated Chimaev will attempt to end Du Plessis’s third title defense on August 16 in Chicago when they meet in the UFC 319 main event.